decker



(No Modl.) 3 sheets-sheet 1.

' DID. DECKER. FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

No. 363,950. Patented May 31, 1887.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. 11 DECKER. FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

No. 363,950. Patented May 81, 188].

(No Model.)

D. D. DECKER.

FIRE ESCAPE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

LADDER Patented May 31, 1887.

N. Firms. P'Mfiutnoflnphnr, Washington. me

UNITED STATES,

PATENT] OFFICE.

DANIEL DEYOE nEoKEE, F EEooKmELD, MISSOURI, .ASSIGNOR TO THE DECKER LADDER COMPANY, on SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,950, dated May 31, 1887.

Application filed March 25), 1887.

souri,-have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escape Ladders, of which" the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fire-escape ladders; and it consists in the pe- V culiar Construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth'hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation I 5 of a fire-escape ladder embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a detailed view showing the devices for coupling the sections of the ladder together. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the car or elevator.

A represents a bed or platform, which is mounted on wheels, and thereby adapted to be readily transported from one place to another. On one end of the said platform ispivoted a circular turn-table, B. From the upper side of the said turn-table project two pairs of ears or lugs, O, and opposite-the said v lugs or ears are similar pairs of lugs or cars, D. E represents a vertical frame, comprising two inverted-V-shaped sides, F, which are connected on opposite sides by means of crossbars G. Thesides F have theirlower inner corners pivoted to the ears 0 by means of a pivotal bolt or rod, H, and the outer corners of the said sides, at their lower ends, are adapted to enter the spaces between the ears D when the frame is in a vertical position, and. are secured thereto by means of a pivotal rod, I, which passes through aligned openings made in the ears and in the sides of the frame. From one side of the turn-table project a pair of upwardly and outwardly inclined standards, K, between the upper ends of which is jour naled a drum, L, that is provided with a crank, 5 M, anda ratchet-wheel, N, and pawl O to en- "gage the ratchet-wheel, and thereby prevent retrograde rotation of the drum.

1? represents a drum or Windlass, which is journal ed horizontally in the sides of the hinged 50 frame E and extends transversely across the Serial No. 232,887. (No model.)

. same. .One end of the said Windlass is provided with a crank, R, by means of which it may be rotated, and with a ratchet-wheel, S, which is engaged by a pawl, P, that is pivoted to one side of the frame and prevents retrograde rotation of the windlass. U'reprcsents a guiding-pulley,which isjournaled between vertical standards V, that rise from the center of the turntable.

.On the inner sides of the frame E, at the upper end thereof, are secured metallic plates W, the upper ends of which project above the upper ends of the frame, and are provided with horizontal aligned openings adapted to receive a transverse bolt, X. On the said bolt is journaled a roller, Y.

Z represents a guiding-frame, which is provided at its center, on its under side,with depending ears A, that are provided with openings through which the pivotalrod X extends, and thereby the said frame Z is pivoted on the upper end of the vertical frame E and is balanced thereon. This frame Z comprises a pair of side bars, 13, the ends of which are connected by transverse bearing rollers G. The said rollers are journaled, in projecting ears D,which are formed on the ends of keepers-E, in which the ends of the side bars are secured. The ears project beyond the upper and lower sides of the side bars, and thereby the rollers O are supported above and below the pivoted frame, thus leaving an unob-' structed space between the opposing sides of the side bars.

Grepresents a pair of truss-rods, which 8 form the sides of the supporting-frame Z, and have their ends bent downward and secured to the ends of the side bars, 13, as shown.

. H represents a ladder, which is adapted to fit in the frame Z between the opposing sides 0 of the side bars, B, thereof, and between the two pairs of friction-rollers C at the ends of the said frame. This ladder is made in a number of detachable sections,I and K. The upper ends of the lower sections,K,are provided with metallic plates L, which are secured to the inner sides of the. side bars of the sections and project outwardly therefrom to form extensions of the lower sections. These plates are provided on opposite sides with project rco ing wings M, which are bent around the outer above the bed or platform A.

sides of the sidebars of the lower sections of the ladder, and thereby form sockets M at the upper ends of the lower sections of the ladder, which sockets are adapted to receive thelower reduced ends of the upper section of the lad der. The upper ends ofthe plates are provided with longitudinal open slots 0, which are adapted to receive the lower rung of the upper section of the ladder, and thereby the sec-' tions of the ladder are adapted to be securely coupled together. At the top of the upper section of the ladder is a roller, P, which eX- tends entirely across the ladder, and at the ends of the said roller are journaled friction wheels'ItQwhich are adapted to travel against the side of the building and reduce friction when the ladder is being elevated against the building.

S represents a car or elevator, which is adapted to slide on the upper section of the ladder, and is secured thereto by means of keepers T, which depend from its lower sides and are .bent around the lower and outer sides of the upper section of the ladder. To this car or elevator is attached a rope or chain,'U, which passes over the roller 1?.

V represents a rope or chain,which has one end attached to the Windlass or drum 1?. The said rope or chain then passes over the roller Y at the upper end of the frame E,and is provided at its outer end with a hook,W, adapted to engage the lower rung of the ladder.

X represents a rope, which has one end at tached to the drum L. The said rope then passes under the pulley U and has its outer end attached to the outer end of the pivoted frame Z. v

The operation of my invention is as follows: The upper section of the ladder is normally arranged in the frame Z, and the lower sec tions of the ladder are detached and are placed upon the top'rollers of the frame Z, and the frame E is tilted to a horizontal position,so as to lower the ladders to within a slight distance In order to raise the ladder, the lower sections, K, are taken from the frame Z, and the frame E is turned to a vertical position, as shown in the drawings, and secured in that position by means of the bolt or rod I. The frame Z is then turned to the proper inclination on the upper end of the frame E by turning the drum L so as to wind up the rope X. The hook W of the rope V is then attached to the lower rung of the upper section of theladder,

and the drum or Windlass P is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, which causes the said drum or Windlass to wind up the rope V, and thereby move the upper section of the ladder upwardly in the frame Z. When the said upper section of the ladder is raised a suitable distance, the lower section of the ladder is coupled thereto, as before described, and the hook Wis then detached from theupper section of the ladder and is attached to the lower rung of the lower section of the ladder. The Windlass or drum P is then turned, as before, thereby continuing to raise the ladder, and the ladder is directed, by turning the turn-table, to cause the upper end of the ladder to bear against the side ofthe building to which it is to be applied, and as the ladder continues to move outward its free end runs up the side of the building, as will be very, readily understood,until it reaches the window from which the escape of the occupants of the building is to be effected. As soon as the drums cease to rotate, the pawls or detents engage their friction-wheels, and thereby prevent them from turning in a retrograde direction,

and thus cause the ladder to be firmly supported when raised. After the ladder is erected, persons on the ground catch hold of the rope attached to the car or elevator and raise the latter by drawing downward on the outer end of the rope. When the car or ele vator reaches the window of the burning building, persons in the building step into the said car or elevator, and the latter is then lowered on the ladder, and thus escape is effected from ,the burning building.

Men or agile persons may descend to the ground by means of the ladder and without using the car or elevator; but the latter will be found useful for lowering women, children, and valuables to the ground.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim 1. The combination of thesupporting bed or base, the turn-table thereon, the frame E on the turn-table and adapted to fold longitudinally thereon, the frame Z, hinged or pivoted to the upper end of the, said frame E, the ladder guided by the frame E, and the windlass to hoist the ladder, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the supportiug'bed or base, the turn-table thereon, having the windlass L at one side and guiding-sheave U, the frame E on the turn-table and provided with the Windlass P, the frame Z, pivoted on the frame E, the ladder made in detachable sections and guided in the frame Z, the rope X, connecting the Windlass L and the frame Z and passing under the sheave U, for the purpose set forth, and the rope V, attached to the Windlass P, passed over a guiding-sheave at the upper end of the frame E, and'having the hooks to engage the ladder, substantially as described.

3. The combinationof the supporting base or bed, the turn-table thereon, the frame E, hinged to the said turn-table and adapted to be raised to 'a vertical position, the frame pivoted centrally to the upper end of frame E and having its guiding-rollers C, the sheave X at the upper end of frame E, the Windlass journaled to said frame, the rope attached to the said windlassand passed over the sheave X, and the extensible ladder made in detachable sections and guided between the rollers IOO C of the. frame Z, the rope being adapted to be attached to the said ladder to elevate the same, substantially as described. 7

4. The combination of the base or support 5 A, the turn-table pivoted thereon, the frame E, hinged to the said turn-table and adapted to be raised to a vertical position, the guidingframe Z, pivoted or hinged to the upper end of the frame E, and the ladder secured in the 10 said guiding-frame and adapted to be moved longitudinally therein, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in Witnesses:

- HARRY LANDER,

O. O. TRIoE. 

